MP Governor may meet President over his alleged involvement in MPPEB scam

New Delhi: Under pressure from the Centre to resign over his alleged involvement in MPPEB forest guard recruitment scam, Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav arrived here and is likely to meet President Pranab Mukherjee.

The Governor, who had reportedly said that he would quit only after meeting President Mukherjee after Home Ministry's suggestion to resign, is also expected to meet Congress leaders including party President Sonia Gandhi soon, sources said.

The Governor has come here to attend the marriage reception, a state government official said

Yadav was named in an FIR registered on Tuesday by the Special Task Force (STF) probing the multi-crore Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board or Vyapam scam under various sections of IPC, including 420 for cheating.

In a related development, Madhya Pradesh Assembly's budget session was today abruptly adjourned sine die 29 days ahead of schedule amid pandemonium over the Vyapam scam during which the state's 2015-16 budget was passed by voice vote.

Opposition Congress had made levelled allegations against chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and sought his resignation.

Yadav had allegedly recommended the names of five candidates for recruitment as forest guards to the top officials of MPPEB which conducted the examination.

The registration of FIR against the Madhya Pradesh Governor comes following a hearing in the matter in the Madhya Pradesh High Court on February 20 when a division bench comprising Chief Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice Alok Aradhe had said "the STF is free to proceed against the high dignitary.

The MPPEB scam is a massive admission and recruitment scandal involving politicians and some senior and influential state government officials and the Governor's role in it had come under the scanner since the arrest of his Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Dhanraj Yadav in MPPEB's Pre-Medical Test (PMT).

His son Shailesh Yadav's name too had cropped up during the investigation when an accused had alleged he was paid money for recruitment of contractual teachers.

Yadav, a former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, was appointed Madhya Pradesh Governor by Congress in 2011 during UPA rule. His term as Governor is set to end in September 2016.